I’ll admit that when my house is in order, I feel like I’m in control of my surroundings, and I feel happier. My house seems bigger, I love living here, and I am less stressed.

But when the dishes pile up in the sink, newspapers and catalogs overtake the coffee table, and clothes seem to sprout on bathroom floors, that is when I want to tear my hair out.

No matter how many times I ask my husband or my teenage daughters to help with cleaning house or pick up after themselves, it always seems like I’m the only one who “sees” the mess. That means that I’m usually the one left cleaning it.

Right now I’m sure there is a science experiment growing in the dirty dishes that my family left, once again, in the kitchen sink. Which is why a tip sheet from The Maids, a residential cleaning company, about how to make housecleaning less of a chore caught my eye when it showed up in my inbox today.

This is advice that you and I probably already know, but don’t put into practice on a regular basis. So it’s worth repeating. Here are 5 tips to help with cleaning house without making it feel like too much of a chore.

Get organized. De-cluttering a home takes more effort and time than any other chore, but once it is done, cleaning will be a snap. Start by tackling one room at a ti…………… continues on LifeGoesStrong

Applebee’s Servers In Illinois Win Court Victory Over Not Getting Paid For …News from Huffington Post:

A federal judge in Illinois ruled this week that servers and bartenders at a chain of Applebee’s restaurants in the state must be compensated for extra work such as washing dishes and cleaning toilets for which they don’t receive tips.

The latest round in a court battle over so-called “dual jobs” came in a continues on Huffington Post

Stretching Your Dollar: Cleaning your roof for a good priceNews from Fox 59:

One Noblesville homeowner is trying to sell her house, but she said her roof looks old and streaked with dirt.

“I didn’t even know the service of roof cleaning existed, until I heard about it from a local company,” said Christina Marcuson. “I thought it would add curb appeal to our home, and I’ve heard buyers make the decision as they are driving by, so I thought a nice roof would catch their eye.”

The service is offered by Bone Dry Roofing.

“Home owners aren’t aware roof cleaning is an option,” said the company’s general manager Ryan Hergott.

A roof is just like anything else, they need maintenance. That maintenance is needed because of algae and other stuff that eats away at your roof. It often forms on the shaded side, and it can cut a roof’s life expectancy by years.

If a roof is not beyond help, cleaning it can increase the life expectancy of your roof and also increase the chance of selling your home.

The cost for a roof cleaning is generally between $ 500 and $ 1,000 depending on the…………… continues on Fox 59

(ARA) – Our lives are busier today than ever before. Trying to balance the demands of work and home life is no easy feat. At home, day-to-day chores like cooking and cleaning easily chip away at precious time that could be better spent on a little rest and relaxation. If you’re looking to take back some of your time at home, the kitchen is a great place to start. With a few simple tools, you can dramatically reduce your workload, making more time for the things that really matter.

1. Hands-free helper

Imagine the convenience of having a kitchen faucet that can sense what you’re trying to accomplish, and with a simple wave of the hand, immediately responds to your needs. The new Moen Arbor pulldown kitchen faucet with MotionSense utilizes advanced sensors to detect a user’s movement in two sensing zones, immediately setting water flow in motion. Simply place an object – like a cup or your hand – near the base of the faucet or wave your hand above the faucet to turn the water on and off automatically. You can also adjust the faucet’s temperature and flow the traditional way, using its convenient side handle. With MotionSense, tasks like washing dishes, filling a glass of water and preparing the evening meal can become quicker and more efficient. It’s like having a second set of h…………… continues on Fox 54

Football season is just around the corner, and with it comes a classic tradition: tailgating. If you’re new to the process or you’re just looking to step up your game, you might not know where to start, but here are eight tips to get you started.

1) Start Early. This includes time to set up, cook, eat, play games, and break down before the game. Tailgating should be a fun and relaxing atmosphere, so start early to allow yourself to relax without missing the game.

2) Invite a ton of friends and welcome strangers. “The more the merrier” is certainly the case here. Tailgating is a great way to catch up with old friends or to meet your neighbors.

3) Wear your team’s colors. Whether you are going to the game or not, you are a fan! Wear your colors and unite with other fans by supporting your team out on the field. Especially you, ladies — guys love to see you rocking football gear.

4) Have trash bags ready. Your yard is going to be a mess, so be responsible and use trash cans to avoid a massive cleanup after the game. Cleaning up is not going to be at the top of the li…………… continues on Huffington Post

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Kids are highly active and in parents words, “Careless and irresponsible”. Do you remember when your mom used to yell at you as you always threw the towel on the bed and the dirty school socks on the floor? When there are kids in the house, maintaining a clean and well decorated house is very difficult. Kids would throw things all around the house. Surprisingly, even while studying, they will sharpen the pencil and throw the waste on the floor. It is not their fault. How would they know that they are making a mistake?

Parents need to make sure that the kids learn to stay tidy and clean. You have to make them know that cleanliness is a part of a good lifestyle. Here are few smart tips to make your kids learn how to stay tidy and clean.

Tips to raise tidy kids with fun:

Bring interest: It is very important to bring the interest of your kid towards cleaning. You can make any household chore a fun filled game if you bring the right interest of your kids towards the task. Show them how cleanliness helps in reducing more unwanted work. For example, kids take out clothes carelessly from the shelf and the whole heap falls down. They will dump it inside the space and once when they do not get the clothes, the kids will have to re-arrange the wardrobe. By taking out clothes in the right format will not…………… continues on BoldSky

The first days of school are upon us. Facility managers, it’s time to get plans together that will ensure that school hallways, classrooms, and restrooms stay pristine beyond the first day of classes. In order to protect the health and academic performance of students, Cintas Corporation has announced three facility management cleaning principles to stand by to make the back to school transition a painless one.

Improve IAQ. Indoor air quality is a commonly cited problem contributing to absences and poor school performance in educational facilities. To improve IAQ, place matting at all entrances and high traffic zones of the school to prevent particulates such as dust and dirt from being tracked in the building. Matting placed inside locker rooms and exterior entryways will also help prevent soil, mud and water from traveling inside the building. To maintain fresh IAQ and clean facilities, ensure that matting is regularly laundered to remove captured debris.

To further address IAQ concerns, schedule A/C coil deep cleaning services to remove the buildup and mold that accumulates in frequently used units. A/C units that have not been properly maintained can cause odors, trigger allergie…………… continues on Buildings

And just like that, the annual pilgrimage to the Playa begins. Scores of Burners head to the desert this week to partake in and create Burning Man. However, if you plan on smashing your Burning Man hymen this year, we thought that, since this SFist editor has yet to attend the dusty festivities in the unforgiving sun, we would ask a handful of Bay Area scribes, noted for their Burner cache, to dole out sound advice. (We’ve got everything from choice events to proper filet mignon storage to tying a turban.) Further advice can and should be placed in the comments (anything about sex and drugs, which we hear is a thing there, is ideal!).

The most important thing you can bring to Burning Man is an open mind, leaving your expectations at home. Be prepared for anything, because the playa can be an unforgiving place, and that means bringing good goggles (at least two pairs, for day and night), dust masks, and rebar, a mallet, and plenty of cotton rope to batten down…………… continues on SFist

The wayfarers come on wheels and on foot, pausing their evenings long enough to bring a little sparkle to their lives, before the city goes about sullying them again.

They come at the end of their night, to shake off the grime of a shift spent shepherding charlatans and drunkards and passengers who insist that a taxi must take them to Brooklyn, and they come at the beginning, so their rented Bentleys and BMWs shimmer so brightly that even the nightclub bouncers they will soon encounter cannot help but notice.

They come to use the bathroom, because the line at their party was too long, and they come to bring sandwiches to the washing crew, because the workers’ pay is low and tips were good tonight and why shouldn’t an altruistic limo driver with a pocketful of tips close his evening with his conscience spotless too?

This is the West Side Highway Car Wash, perched at the western boundary of Manhattan’s neon district, on West 46th Street and 12th Avenue, its sign — “CAR WASH,” lighted in white letters and red trim — calling to all those who seek a clean slate, even if it will last only a few minutes.

The wash, like its city, is open 24 hours a day. No interior cleaning after 9…………… continues on New York Times

Healthy-living expert, Building Biologist and author Lisa Beres shares these simple solutions to naturally create and maintain an odor-free home:

Kitchen refrigerator: Clean the drawers and shelves with a homemade cleaning solution of a few drops natural dish soap mixed with a bowl of baking soda, and stir until it creates a thick paste. Also, store an open box of baking soda inside the fridge to help eliminate odors before they start. Replace it with a fresh box at least every three months.

Candles and air fresheners: Store-bought air fresheners can contain synthetic chemicals, such as formaldehyde, which can irritate eyes, skin and throats, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Instead, create your own air freshener by combining 10 drops of an essential oil, such as lavender or eucalyptus, with two cups of water.

Pests and repellants: Instead, set a line of coffee grounds, lemon juice, cinnamon or cayenne pepper around doors and windows to create an effective barrier that pests won’t cross.

Damp towels: To rid towels of the mildew smell, first wash them once in hot water with a cup or two of white vinegar. Then wash them again with a natural or eco-friendly laundry detergent. Finally, dry the towels in the dryer on high heat. To avoid smells in the future, hang towels up right away to ensure they dry thoroughly.

Cleaning your bathroom may sound like an arduous task but with these easy to do tips; you will be grinning away to a clean look in no time!

•Check for clogging in the drains, WC or washbasin pipes. To de-clog, pour boiling water into the drains followed by a cup of vinegar. Do not use the bathroom for a few hours. In fact, this is best done at night. You may also try a commercial de-clogger. If the stink persists, get a plumber (a tried-tested one, preferably) to check all drainage leading to the sewage point.

•General bathroom hygiene is a must. On a daily basis, clean the toilet bowl using a good commercial toilet cleaner. Opt for reliable cleaning liquid soaps to clean the washbasin and countertop. For the floors, use a squeegee to get rid of excess water, and then get your help to sweep and mop. Make sure you wipe all the sanitary fittings using a wet clot…………… continues on Leadership Newspapers

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Poachers Busted by Tip from Operation Game ThiefNews from KATC Lafayette News:

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents cited five men on alleged poaching violations in St. Charles Parish on Aug. 18.

Agents received a complaint from their Operation Game Thief (OGT) program of individuals cleaning freshly harvested migratory game birds and rabbits in their back yard. The agents responded quickly to the residence where they made contact with the alleged suspects still cleaning the game.

The agents seized six whistling ducks and eight rabbits taken out of season. Agents also seized three guns which were in the possession of the suspects and believed to be used to illegally take the game.

State violations of migratory game bird regulations brings a fine between $ 400 and $ 950 and up to 120 days in jail. Possession of rabbits during a closed season carries a fine between $ 250 and $ 500 and up to 90 days in jail. If convicted, the men also face civil restitution in the amount of $ 413.34.

If someone witnesses or has information concerning a violation, they should call Operation Gam…………… continues on KATC Lafayette News